Sri Lankan authorities arrest 22 monks with record shipment of cannabis

Published at: 28/04/2026 09:00 AM

Sri Lankan authorities reported the arrest of 22 Buddhist monks at Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), after the discovery of a shipment exceeding 110 kilograms of cannabis in their luggage. The operation, carried out north of the capital, represents the largest seizure of illegal substances recorded in the history of this air terminal.

The detainees carried the substance distributed in suitcases containing more than five kilograms of the plant each. The fact has generated shock in the country, given that those involved are Dharma practitioners who had formally renounced worldly life.

The police forces detailed that the shipment was hidden by a system of false bottoms in the luggage, specifically designed to evade security controls. The sophisticated concealment method suggests organized logistics for the transfer of psychoactive compounds.

The suspects are currently in the custody of the judicial authorities. It should be noted that Sri Lankan legislation is extremely strict with regard to narcotics, providing for measures of immediate preventive detention and long-term sentences for those responsible for drug trafficking.

Mazo News Team